MacGuffin Releases Today, For Those Who Can Grab it

I hang around on the TV Tropes website a lot, learning different storytelling techniques and terms.

I hang around on the TV Tropes website a lot, learning different storytelling techniques and terms. One of my favorites has always been the MacGuffin – an object which is a particular plot point, usually needing to be collected by the hero and often coveted by the villain.

The folks at French developer Concrete Gamesclearly understand the importance of the MacGuffin, because they’ve made it the focus of their debut game. Inwhich launched this week, the player must find exactly that. The MacGuffin must be recovered at any cost; failure is not an option.

In an alternate reality, the player takes on the role of a thief, a proficient purloiner who is hired to recover the eponymous object from a nearby nuclear power plant. The plant is on the verge of exploding, so time is just a little bit crucial. It’s also a bit of a mystery, since the player doesn’t know who exactly has hired the thief – or what the all-important MacGuffin actually is . The only thing known about the outfit who hired the thief is that the contact person is called Richard. The thief is equipped with a smartphone, on which they communicate with Richard to receive instructions. The phone is also a source of amusement, as it comes with a free fact generator.

The game itself is described as “a first-person comedy adventure,” with jokes around every corner. As the story unfolds, the truth about the MacGuffin heist makes itself slowly apparent. In the process of revealing the underlying truth, the thief will hack computers, resolve puzzles, and explore strange places from a burning underground region to galactic space. The soundtrack includes “The MacGuffin: The Atomic Robbery Rap,” performed by Richard; the developers have made this particular track available independently of the game, and those curious enough may listen to it here.

MacGuffin is available to PC players using either Windows or Mac, and may be downloaded either from the game’s official websiteor from itch.io. The regular price is $2.99 USD, although to celebrate the game’s launch, it can be purchased at a 20% discount from either site. It is also currently up for consideration on Steam Greenlight, and was the second place winner for the Indie Games Jury Award at Stunfest 2015. Find out more about MacGuffin and Concrete Games by visiting their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.